GOP Senators Urge Hegseth to Open Defense Briefings as $1.5 Trillion Budget Push Hits Crucial Phase

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under friendly fire from his own side as he makes the final push for the Trump administration's record $1.5 trillion defense budget. Republican senators who back the historic spending plan are publicly urging him to bring Democrats into classified briefings, warning that shutting them out could jeopardize the package when it reaches the floor this fall.

Hegseth has trekked to Capitol Hill at least twice in recent weeks to pitch the budget behind closed doors. The sessions have followed a pattern that has some lawmakers in both parties uncomfortable: Democrats left out of the room.

Allies Sound the Alarm

The pushback is notable because it is coming from Republicans who support the budget. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is retiring, put it bluntly: "He calls himself the secretary of war, but ironically, he doesn't want to go to war and win the argument with nearly half the members of the Senate. You got to engage."

Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota echoed the concern, saying Democrats need to be brought up to speed on the classified material. "But there has to be a clear understanding that the information that's being provided to them cannot be publicly discussed," Rounds said, noting some in the administration fear leaks.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska struck a similar note, saying smaller groups are sometimes necessary, "but I think it needs to be bipartisan."

Why the Briefings Matter

The freeze-out extends beyond the budget talks. Democrats have also been left out of classified sessions on sensitive operations, including the Navy's counter-narcotics strikes in the Caribbean and the decoy Air Force One flight that followed an Iranian threat against the president. The administration's tight grip on operational details reflects a hard line on leaks, but it comes with a political cost.

Without Democratic votes, the $1.5 trillion package cannot clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold. Republicans who spent months building the proposal now worry that a partisan process could sink a generational investment in American military readiness.

One Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said the administration is "preaching to the choir" by pitching only to Republicans. "It's a briefing that should be provided to 100 senators."

A Debate Over Strategy, Not Substance

There is no dispute over the size or purpose of the budget, which would fund a major rebuilding of the U.S. military amid ongoing confrontations with Iran and other adversaries. The debate is over how to get it across the finish line. Democrats on the defense appropriations panel, led by Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, say multiple Republican colleagues have privately implored Hegseth to engage with them.

Former defense officials warn the approach could backfire long term. "If and when the House flips, as many political pundits think it will, they will have nobody to work with, because they have not built any relationships," one former official said. Another called the strategy "extremely short-sighted" for a department that needs bipartisan support year after year.

What Happens Next

The Pentagon says it remains committed to working with Congress. "We remain fully committed to working with Congress to ensure our warfighters have the resources necessary to execute their mission," a department spokesman said, adding that Hegseth and senior officials regularly engage with lawmakers on the defense budget, readiness, and national security priorities.

For now, the ball is in Hegseth's court. The defense secretary has a chance to expand the tent as the budget fight heads into the fall, and Republicans on both sides of the aisle are watching whether he takes it. The stakes could not be higher: a once-in-a-generation military buildup hangs on whether Washington can come together to fund it.